How long can Trump's "big tent" hold? The Washington Post provides a deep analysis of the six major factions within the Republican Party, examining their positions and controversies all at once.

The Washington Post recently interviewed Republican strategists and opinion leaders, and referenced polling data to organize the six major factions within the Republican Party, which include MAGA, traditionalists, fiscal hawks, religious right, tech right, and MAHA. Within less than a year of Trump taking office, the six factions have already clashed over issues such as tariffs, the scope of deportations, cuts to the federal budget, and whether aid should be provided to countries like Ukraine and Israel. If the common ground of the six factions is absent without Trump, the internal contradictions will inevitably impact the international situation.

Analysis of the six major factions of the Republican Party: MAGA, Traditionalists, Fiscal Hawks, Religious Right, Tech Right, and MAHA

The Washington Post summarizes that the current Republican Party is mainly composed of six forces:

MAGA populism

Mainly composed of the working class, they strongly oppose immigration and overseas intervention, and support bringing back manufacturing through tariffs; they are staunch supporters of Trump’s rallies and are also heavily influenced by right-wing media and social messaging, expecting Trump to "clean up the system."

Representative figures: Georgia State Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Trump’s first-term presidential advisor Stephen K. Bannon, and Vice President JD Vance.

Traditional Republican

Maintain a business-friendly stance, free markets, and tax cuts, with a more open approach to immigration and foreign military involvement. Often conflicts with populists on tariffs and labor policies, extending the 2017 tax cuts is a significant victory.

Representatives: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, Georgia Brian Kemp, Senate Majority Leader, South Dakota Senator John Thune.

Small Government / Fiscal Hawk

Most members arose from the Tea Party movement, a political movement of fiscal conservatism in the United States that began to rise in early 2009, advocating for small government principles, supporting tax cuts and reducing government spending, with a focus on controlling expenditures and reducing deficits. There is a high vigilance against expansionary fiscal policy, and there are internal divisions on the stance regarding foreign intervention, often clashing with the White House over budget and deficit issues, especially Rand Paul, who clashed with Trump over opposition to the large American Law.

Representatives: Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.

Religious Right

During the first term, the long-standing demand for the overturning of Roe v. Wade was achieved. Although the second term no longer fully dominated the agenda, significant influence was still exerted on child tax credits, private school vouchers, and regulations on medical aid funding.

Key figures: House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, both devout members of the Southern Baptist Convention, as well as Marjorie Dannenfelser, chair of the anti-abortion organization.

Tech Right

After Musk fell out with Trump, the representatives of that faction have been reshuffled. Silicon Valley largely still leans towards the Democratic Party, but the tech right is gaining momentum in 2024, and they are also influencing Trump on issues such as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency. However, The Washington Post describes the current tech right as more of a collection of big players rather than a grassroots movement. Although they do not represent mainstream public opinion, they possess amplified political and business influence, focusing on free speech, deregulation of AI/biotechnology, and cryptocurrency policies; on issues of high-skilled immigration and tariffs, they frequently clash with populists.

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI's Sam Altman have not expressed support for Trump in 2024, but they are trying to build relationships after his election. Marc Andreessen endorsed Trump last year and donated to support his campaign. PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel is an ally of Vance, having strongly supported his 2022 Senate campaign, but chose not to donate in the 2024 election.

Representative figures: Marc Andreessen (a16z), David Sacks ( Crypto Tsar ).

MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) and the turning Democrats

Led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, and others, attracting voters skeptical of vaccines, food chemicals, and big pharmaceutical companies, emphasizing new solutions to obesity and chronic diseases; not in line with MAGA, long-term presence remains uncertain. Many members are former Democrats but believe the Democratic Party has "woken up" too much and thus have exited.

If the Republican Party de-Trumpifies, factional conflicts will become the biggest problem.

In less than a year since Trump took office, rifts have repeatedly emerged: whether tariffs will be permanent, the scope and intensity of deportations, aid to Ukraine and Israel, and cuts to the federal budget have all sparked factional conflicts. The White House's recent "omnibus" bill faced numerous challenges in Congress but was eventually passed, revealing the transactions and calculations among different factions.

Veteran consultant Ralph Reed emphasized that the Republican Party has had tension and diversity as its genes since its founding, not weaknesses. Stephen K. Bannon compared the Trump coalition to the great coalition of little Roosevelt, characterized by mutual suspicion yet able to coexist. Another dissenting opinion comes from right-wing opinion leader Laura Loomer, who warned that while coalition politics may have short-term benefits, it could be "toxic and explosive" in the long run.

The traditional faction focused on the business world and the tax reform advocates have gradually "leaned toward populism" in public messaging, but they have not wavered on core tenets such as free markets and small government; although the religious right has retreated to a secondary position, it still pulls back important leverage in education and healthcare resource allocation. The tech right, on the other hand, seeks to expand its voice in industry regulation and immigration issues through personnel policies, such as positions in cryptocurrency and economic technology.

However, the adhesive for this large tent mainly comes from Trump's personal prestige and voter loyalty. Once he is no longer standing in the center of the stage, the structural contradictions between populists and traditionalists on issues of tariffs, immigration, and globalization may come to a head again; the tug-of-war between the tech right and grassroots populists over high-skilled immigration and industry regulation, as well as whether MAHA's new blood will remain, will also determine the long-term landscape of the Republican Party.

How long can Trump's "big tent" last? The Washington Post provides an in-depth analysis of the six major factions of the Republican Party, their positions, and controversies all at once. Originally appeared in Chain News ABMedia.